As an endemic species in Korea Adenophora erecta S. Lee, Joongku Lee et S. Kim is distributed in a restricted area of Ulleung island. In this study, we confirmed finding only about 60 individuals in Taeha-ryeung in an area measuring 900 m² in size. These data together with previously collected data indicate that this species is in the “Critically Endangered (CR)” category based on taxon evaluation criteria of the IUCN. We propagated this species using seeds of transplanted plant from a site where this plant was first found. The best seed germination was observed in a batch treated with GA3 (500 mg/L) under the sun light and the best plant growth was observed in a bed of nursery soil and rough-sand soil (1:1). The original habitat of A. erecta in Sukpo-dong was successfully restored by transplantation of the propagated young plants.

Cost for plant survey has been dramatically reduced due to the development of mobile technology to obtain pictures with their GPS coordination. We developed a PlantGPS system consisting of an Android application specialized for collecting plant pictures and their locations using mobile devices, a server-side component for uploading data, and a web-based interface for managing and analyzing data. As examples of application of our PlantGPS system, surveys of “plants in Nangsae (Daksum) Island” and “ferns in Chollipo arboretum” were conducted. Results showed that our PlantGPS system could be used to quickly survey plant distribution in restricted area with reasonable time and effort.

Antioxidant activity and inhibitory effect on oxidative DNA damage of ethyl acetate fractions extracted from Cone of Red Pine (Pinus densiflora) were investigated to find utilization of Cone, by-product of Red Pine, thrown out after berry shatter, as a new natural plant resource. Cone from P. densiflora was extracted with methanol (MeOH) and separated to petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and water fraction. Among them, ethyl acetate fraction was used. The antioxidant activity was conducted by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical, 2, 2'-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6 sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) radical scavenging assay, Fe 2+ chelating assay and reducing power assay. The inhibitory effect on oxidative DNA damage was determined by DNA cleavage assay using φX-174 RF I plasmid. The results of DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity at 200 ㎍/㎖ of extracts were 86.50% and 95.80% respectively, which were similar figures compared with L-ascorbic acid as control. Fe 2+ chelating activity was 77.96% and reducing power was 0.77 at 200 ㎍/㎖. Total phenolic component was 27.29±0.3 ㎎/g and Vitamin C content was 1.84±0.1 ㎎/g. Also ethyl acetate fraction from Cone has inhibitory effect, using φX-174 RF I plasmid on DNA cleavage assay. In conclusion, Cone, by-product of P. densiflora, showed high antioxidant activity and inhibitory effect on oxidative DNA damage. Therefore this study suggests Cone, useless by-product, can be developed as a new natural plant resource with lots of utilization such as an effective antioxidant, natural medicine, food, cosmetics and so on.

천궁에서는 butylidene phthalide, butyl phthalide, senkyunolide, cnidilide + neocnidilide 및 ligustilide가 동정되었으며, 이들 성분의 70% 이상을 ligustilide와 senkyunolide가 차지하였다. Phthalide류 총량으로 볼 때 연길산 및 안국산의 중국재배 천궁은 한국재배종보다 약간 높은 경향이었으나, 길림산은 한국 재배종보다 뒤떨어지는 것으로 나타났으며 각 성분의 함량도 낮아 품질이 나쁜 것으로 확인되었다. 또한, 중국의 연길산 천궁은 ligustilide와 senkyunolide의 광분해생성물인 butylidene phthalide 및 butyl phthalide함량이 높아 유통기간과 보관상의 문제가 있었다고 판단되어져 약재 수입시 유의하여야 할 것으로 사료된다. 당귀에서는 butylidene phthalide와 ligustilide가 동정 되었으며, 전체의 약 90%를 ligustilide가 차지하였다. 우리나라 재배종 당귀 중의 ligustilide 함량은 중국 연길산의 상품 및 하품보다 높았으나, 안국산 및 길림산보다는 낮았다. 그러나 길림산을 제외한 중국산 당귀는 ligustilide의 광분해산물로 생성되는 butylidene phthalide함량이 우리 나라 재배종에 비하여 훨씬 높은 것으로 나타나, 천궁에서와 같이 중국산 약재의 유통과 보관상의 문제점이 제기되었다.